美国原汁原味 SAT阅读理解 附答案与详细解答 高考复习
Reading Test
35 MINUTES, 16 QUESTIONS
Questions 1-8 are based on the following passage.
This passage is from Lydia Minatoya, The Strangeness of Beauty. ?1999 by Lydia Minatoya. The setting is Japan in 1920. Chie and her daughter Naomi are members of the House of Fuji, a noble family.
Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form—had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between—would Chie have been more receptive?
He came on a winter’s eve. He pounded on the door while a cold rain beat on the shuttered veranda, so at first Chie thought him only the wind. The maid knew better. Chie heard her soft scuttling footsteps, the creak of the door. Then the maid brought a calling card to the drawing room, for Chie.
Chie was reluctant to go to her guest; perhaps she was feeling too cozy. She and Naomi were reading at a low table set atop a charcoal brazier. A thick quilt spread over the sides of the table so their legs were tucked inside with the heat.
“Who is it at this hour, in this weather?” Chie questioned as she picked the name card off the maid’s lacquer tray.
“Shinoda, Akira. Kobe Dental College,” she read.
Naomi recognized the name. Chie heard a soft intake of air.
“I think you should go,” said Naomi.
Akira was waiting in the entry. He was in his early twenties, slim and serious, wearing the black military-style uniform of a student. Ashe bowed—his hands hanging straight down, a
black cap in one, a yellow oil-paper umbrella in the other—Chie glanced beyond him. In the glistening surface of the courtyard’s rain-drenched paving stones, she saw his reflection like a dark double.
“Madame,” said Akira, “forgive my disruption, but I come with a matter of urgency.”
His voice was soft, refined. He straightened and stole a deferential peek at her face.
In the dim light his eyes shone with sincerity. Chie felt herself starting to like him.
“Come inside, get out of this nasty night. Surely your business can wait for a moment or two.”
“I don’t want to trouble you. Normally I would approach you more properly but I’ve received word of a position. I’ve an opportunity to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community.”
“Congratulations,” Chie said with amusement. “That is an opportunity, I’m sure. But how am I involved?”
Even noting Naomi’s breathless reaction to the name card, Chie had no idea. Akira’s message, delivered like a formal speech, filled her with maternal amusement. You know how children speak so earnestly, so hurriedly, so endearingly abou t things that have no importance in an adult’s mind? That’s how she viewed him, as a child.
It was how she viewed Naomi. Even though Naomi was eighteen and training endlessly in the arts
needed to make a good marriage, Chie had made no effort to find her a husband.
Akira blushed.
“Depending on your response, I may stay in Japan. I’ve come to ask for Naomi’s hand.”
Suddenly Chie felt the dampness of the night. “Does Naomi know anything of your . . .
ambitions?”
“We have an understanding. Please don’t judge
my candidacy by the unseemliness of this proposal. I 65 ask directly because the use of a go-between takes
much time. Either method comes down to the same thing: a matter of parental approval. If you give your consent, I become Naomi’s yoshi.* We’ll live in the House of Fuji. Without your consent, I must go to
America, to secure a new home for my bride.”
Eager to make his point, he’d been looking her full
in the face. Abruptly, his voice turned gentle. “I see I’ve startled you. My humble apologies. I’ll take no more of your evening. My address is on my card. If
you don’t wish to contact me, I’ll reapproach you in two weeks’ time. Until then, good night.”
He bowed and left. Taking her ease, with effortless grace, like a cat making off with a fish.
“Mother?” Chie heard Naomi’s low voice and turned from the door. “He has asked you?”
The sight of Naomi’s clear eyes, her dark brows gave Chie strength. Maybe his hopes were preposterous.
“Where did you meet such a fellow? Imagine! He think she can marry the Fuji heir and take her to
America all in the snap of his fingers!”
Chie waited for Naomi’s ripe laughter. Naomi was silent. She stood a full half minute looking straight into Chie’s eyes. Finally, she spoke. “I met him at my literary meeting.” Naomi turned to go back into the house, then stopped.
“Mother.”
“Yes?”
“I mean to have him.”
* a man who marries a woman of higher status and takes her family’s name
1，Which choice best describes what happens in the passage?
A) One character argues with another character who intrudes on her home.
B) One character receives a surprising request from another character.
C) One character reminisces about choices she has made over the years.
D) One character criticizes another character for pursuing an unexpected course of action. 2，Which choice best describes the developmental pattern of the passage?
A) A careful analysis of a traditional practice
B) A detailed depiction of a meaningful encounter
C) A definitive response to a series of questions
D) A cheerful recounting of an amusing anecdote
3，As used in line 1 and line 65, “directly” most nearly means
A) frankly.
B) confidently.
C) without mediation.
D) with precision.
4，Which reaction does Akira most fear from Chie?
A）She will consider his proposal inappropriate.
B）She will consider his unscheduled visit an imposition.
C）She will underestimate the sincerity of his emotions.
D）She will mistake his earnestness for immaturity.
5，Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Line 33 (“His voice . . . refined”)
B) Lines 49-51 (“You . . . mind”)
C) Lines 63-64 (“Please . . . proposal”)
D) Lines 71-72 (“Eager . . . face”)
6，In the passage, Akira addresses Chie with
A) affection but not genuine love.
B) objectivity but not complete impartiality.
C) amusement but not mocking disparagement.
D) respect but not utter deference.
7，Why does Akira say his meeting with Chie is “a matter of urgency” (line 32)?
A) He fears that his own parents will disapprove of Naomi.
B) He worries that Naomi will reject him and marry someone else.
C) He has been offered an attractive job in another country.
D) He knows that Chie is unaware of his feelings for Naomi.
8，Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Line 39 (“I don’t . . . you”)
B) Lines 39-42 (“Normally . . . community”)
C) Lines 58-59 (“Depending . . . Japan”)
D) Lines 72-73 (“I see . . . you”)
Questions 9-16 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.
This passage is adapted from Francis J. Flynn and Gabrielle S. Adams, "Money Can't Buy Love: Asymmetric Beliefs about Gift Price and Feelings of Appreciation." ?2008 by Elsevier Inc.
Every day, millions of shoppers hit the stores in full force—both online and on foot—searching frantically for the perfect gift. Last year, Americans
spent over $30 billion at retail stores in the month of 5 December alone. Aside from purchasing holiday
gifts, most people regularly buy presents for other occasions throughout the year, including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby showers. This frequent experience of gift-giving can
engender ambivalent feelings in gift-givers. Many relish the opportunity to buy presents because gift-giving offers a pow erful means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest peers. At the same time, many dread the thought of buying gifts; they worry
that their purchases will disappoint rather than delight the intended recipients.
Anthropologists describe gift-giving as a positive social process, serving various political, religious, and psychological functions. Economists, however, offer
a less favorable view. According to Waldfogel (1993), gift-giving represents an objective waste of resources. People buy gifts that recipients would not choose to buy on their own, or at least not spend as much money to purchase (a phenomenon referred to as
‘‘the deadweight loss of Christmas”). To wit, givers are likely to spend $100 to purchase a gift that receivers would spend only $80 to buy themselves. This ‘‘deadweight loss” suggests that gift-givers are not very good at predicting what gifts others will
appreciate. That in itself is not surprising to social psychologists. Research has found that people often struggle to take
ac count of others’ perspectives— their insights are subject to egocentrism, social projection, and multiple attribution errors.
What is surprising is that gift-givers have considerable experience acting as both gift-givers and gift-recipients, but nevertheless tend to overspend each time they set out to purchase a meaningful gift. In the present research, we propose a unique
Psychological explanation forth is over spending problem—i.e., that gift-givers equate how much they
spend with how much recipients will appreciate the gift (the more expensive the gift, the stronger a gift-recipient’s feelings of appreciation). Although a link between gift price and feelings of appreciation might seem intuitive to gift-givers, such an assumption may be unfounded. Indeed, we propose that gift-recipients will be less inclined to base their feelings of appreciation on the magnitude of a gift than givers assume.
Why do gift-givers assume that gift price is closely linked to gift-recipients’ feelings of appreciation? Perha ps givers believe that bigger (i.e., more expensive) gifts convey stronger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration. According to Camerer (1988) and others, gift-giving represents a symbolic ritual, whereby gift-givers attempt to signal their positive attitudes toward the intended recipient and their willingness to invest resources in a future relationship. In this sense,
gift-givers may be motivated to spend more money on a gift in order to send a “stronger signal” to their intended recipient. As for gift-recipients, they may not construe smaller and larger gifts as representing smaller and larger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration.
The notion of gift-givers and gift-recipients being unable to account for the other party’s perspective seems puz zling because people slip in and out of these roles every day, and, in some cases, multiple times in the course of the same day. Yet, despite the extensive experience that people have as both givers and receivers, they often struggle to transfer information gained from one role (e.g., as a giver) and apply it in another, complementary role (e.g., as a receiver). In theoretical terms, people fail to utilize information about their own preferences and experiences in order to produce more efficient outcomes in their exchange relations. In practical terms, people spend hundreds of dollars each year on gifts, but somehow never learn to calibrate their gift expenditures according to personal insight.
9，The authors most likely use the examples in lines 1-9 of the passage (“Every . . . showers”) to highlight the
A) regularity with which people shop for gifts.
B) recent increase in the amount of money spent on gifts.
C) anxiety gift shopping causes for consumers.
D) number of special occasions involving gift-giving.
10，In line 10, the word “ambivalent” most nearly means
A）unrealistic.
B）conflicted.
C）apprehensive.
D）supportive.
11，The authors indicate that people value gift-giving because they feel it
A) functions as a form of self-expression.
B) is an inexpensive way to show appreciation.
C) requires the gift-recipient to reciprocate.
D) can serve to strengthen a relationship.
12，Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 10-13 (“Many . . . peers”)
B) Lines 22-23 (“People . . . own”)
C) Lines 31-32 (“Research . . . perspectives”)
D) Lines 44-47 (“Although . . . unfounded”)
13，The “social psychologists” mentioned in paragraph 2 (lines 17-34) would likely describe the “deadweight loss” phenomenon as
A) predictable.
B) questionable.
C) disturbing.
D) unprecedented.
14，The passage indicates that the assumption made by gift-givers in lines 41-44 may be
A) insincere.
B) unreasonable.
C) incorrect.
D) substantiated.
15，The graph following the passage offers evidence that gift-givers base their predictions of how much a gift will be appreciated on
A) the appreciation level of the gift-recipients.
B) the monetary value of the gift.
C) their own desires for the gifts they purchase.
D) their relationship with the gift-recipients.
16，The authors refer to work by Camerer and others (line 56) in order to
A) offer an explanation.
B) introduce an argument.
C) question a motive.
D) support a conclusion.
Answer sheet and explanation
1: B
Choice B is the best answer. In the passage, a young man (Akira) asks a mother (Chie) for permission to marry her daughter (Naomi). The request was certainly surprising to the mother, as can be seen from line 47, which states that prior to Akira’s question Chie “had no idea” the req uest was coming.
Choice A is incorrect because the passage depicts two characters engaged in a civil conversation, with Chie being impressed with Akira’s “sincerity” and finding herself “starting to like him.” Choice C is incorrect because the passage is focused on the idea of Akira’s and Naomi’s present lives and possible futures. Choice D is incorrect because the interactions between Chie and Akira are polite, not critical; for example, Chie views Akira with “amusement,” not animosity.
2: B
Choice B is the best answer. The passage centers on a night when a young man tries to get approval to marry a woman’s daughter. The passage includes detailed descriptions of setting (a “winter’s eve” and a “cold rain,” lines 5-6); character (Akira’s “soft, refined” voice, line 33; Akira’s eyes “sh[ining] with sincerity,” line 35); and plot (“Naomi was silent. She stood a full half minute looking straight into Chie’s eyes. Finally, she spoke,” lines 88-89).
Choice A is incorrect because the passage focuses on a nontraditional mar- riage proposal. Choice C is incorrect because the passage concludes without resolution to the question of whether Akira and Naomi will receive permis- sion to marry. Choice D is incorrect because the passage repeatedly makes clear that for Chie, her encounter with Akira is momentous and unsettling, as when Akira acknowledges in line 73 that he has “startled” her.
3: C
Choice C is the best answer. Akira “came directly, breaking all tradition,” (line 1) when he approached Chie and asked to marry her daughter, and he “ask[ed] directly,” without “a go-between” (line 65) or “mediation,” because doing otherwise would have taken too much time.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because in these contexts, “directly” does not mean in a frank, confident, or precise manner.
4: A
Choice A is the best answer. Akira is very concerned Chie will find his mar- riage proposal inappropriate because he did not follow traditional protocol and use a “go-between” (line 65). This is clear in lines 63-64, when Akira says to Chie “Please don’t judge my candidacy by the
un seemliness of this proposal.”
Choice B is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira worries that Chie will mistake his earnestness for immaturity. Choice C is incor- rect because while Akira recognizes that his unscheduled visit is a nuisance, his larger concern is that Chie will reject him due to the inappropriateness of his proposal. Choice D is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira worries Chie will underestimate the sincerity of his emotions.
5: C
Choice C is the best answer. In lines 63-64, Akira says to Chie, “Please don’t judge my candidacy by the unseemliness of this proposal.” This reveals Akira’s concern that Chie may say no to the proposal simply because Akira did not follow traditional practices.
Choices A, B, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice A is incorrect because line 33 merely describes Akira’s voice as “soft, refined.” Choice B is incorrect because lines 49-51 reflect Chie’s perspective, not Akira’s. Choice D is incor rect because lines 71-72 indicate only that Akira was speaking in an eager and forthright matter.
6: D
Choice D is the best answer because Akira clearly treats Chie with respect, including “bow[ing]” (line 26) to her, calling her “Madame” (line 31), and looking at her with “a deferential peek” (line 34). Akira does not offer Chie utter deference, though, as he asks to marry Naomi after he concedes that he is not following protocol and admits to being a “disruption” (line 31).
Choice A is incorrect because while Akira conveys respect to Chie, there is no evidence in the passage that he feels affection for her. Choice B is incor- rect because neither objectivity nor impartiality accurately describes how Akira addresses Chie. Choice C is incorrect because Akira conveys respect to Chie and takes the conversation seriously.
7: C
Choice C is the best answer. Akira states that his unexpected meeting with Chie occurred only because of a “matter of urgency,” which he explains as “an opportunity to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community” (lines 41-42). Akira decides to directly speak to Chie because Chie’s response to his marriage proposal affects whether Akira accepts the job offer.
Choice A is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira is worried his parents will not approve of Naomi. Choice B is incorrect because Akira has “an understanding” with Naomi (line 63). Choice D is incorrect; while Akira may know that Chie is unaware of his feelings for Naomi, this is not what he is referring to when he mentions “a matter of urgency.”
8: B
Choice B is the best answer. In lines 39-42, Akira clarifies that the “mat- ter of urgency” is that he has “an opportunity to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community.” Akira needs Chie’s answer to his marriage proposal so he can decide whether to accept the job in Seattle.
Choices A, C, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice A is incorrect because in line 39 Akira apologizes for interrupting Chie’s quiet evening. Choice C is incorrect because lines 58-59 address the seriousne ss of Akira’s request, not its urgency. Choice D is incorrect because line 73 shows only that Akira’s proposal has “startled” Chie and does not explain why his request is time-sensitive.
9: A
Choice A is the best answer. Lines 1-9 include examples of how many people shop (“millions of shoppers”), how much money they spend (“over $30 billion at retail stores in the month of December alone”), and the many occasions that lead to shopping for gifts (“including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby showers.”). Combined, these examples show how frequently people in the US shop for gifts.
Choice B is incorrect because even though the authors mention that “$30 billion” had been spent in retail stores in one month, that figure is never discussed as an increase (or a decrease). Choice C is incorrect because lines 1-9 provide a context for the amount of shopping that occurs in the US, but the anxiety (or “dread”) it might cause is not introduced until later in the passage. Choice D is incorrect because lines 1-9 do more than highlight the number of different occasions that lead to gift-giving.
10: B
Choice B is the best answer. Lines 9-10 state “This frequent experience of gift-giving can engender ambivalent feelings in gift-givers.” In the sub- sequent sentences, those “ambivalent” feelings are
further exemplified as conflicted feelings, as shopping is said to be something tha t “[m]any relish” (lines 10-11) and “many dread” (line 14).
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context, “ambivalent” does not mean feelings that are unrealistic, apprehensive, or supportive.
11: D
Choice D is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors clearly state that some people believe gift-giving can help a relationship because it “offers a powerful means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest peers.”
Choice A is incorrect because even though the authors state that some shoppers make their choices based on “egocentrism,” (line 33) there is no evidence in the passage that people view shopping as a form of self- expression. Choice B is incorrect because the passage implies that shopping is an expensive habit. Choice C is incorrect because the passage states that most people have purchased and received gifts, but it never implies that peo- ple are required to reciprocate the gift-giving process.
12: A
Choice A is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors suggest that people value gift-giving because it may strengthen their relationships with others: “Many relish the opportunity to buy presents because gift-giving offers a powerful means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest peers.”
Choices B, C, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice B is incorrect because lines 22-23 discuss how people often buy gifts that the recipients would not purchase. Choice C is incorrect because lines 31-32 explain how gift-givers often fail to consider the recipients’ preferences. Choice D is incorrect because lines 44-47 suggest that the cost of a gift may not correlate to a recipient’s appreciation of it.
13: A
Choice A is the best answer. The “deadweight loss” mentioned in the second paragraph is the significant monetary difference between what a gift-giver would pay for something and what a gift-recipient would pay for the same item. That difference would be predictable to social psychologists, whose research “has found that people often struggle to take account of others’ perspectives—their insights are subject to egocentrism, social projection, and multiple attribution errors” (lines 31-34).
Choices B, C, and D are all incorrect because lines 31-34 make clear that social psychologists would expect a disconnect between gift-givers and gift- recipients, not that they would question it, be disturbed by it, or find it sur- prising or unprecedented.
14: C
Choice C is the best answer. Lines 41-44 suggest that gift-givers assume a correlation between the cost of a gift and how well-received it will be: “. . . gift-givers equate how much they spend with how much recipients will appreciate the gift (the more expensive the gift, the stronger a gift-reci pient’s feelings of appreciation).” However, the authors suggest this assumption may be incorrect or “unfounded” (line 47), as gift-recipients “may not construe smaller and larger gifts as representing smaller and larger signals of thought- fulness and con sideration” (lines 63-65).
Choices A, B, and D are all incorrect because the passage neither states nor implies that the gift-givers’ assumption is insincere, unreasonable, or substantiated.
15: B
Choice B is the best answer. The graph clearly shows that gift-givers believe that a “more valuable” gift will be more appreciated than a “less valuable gift.” According to the graph, gift-givers believe the monetary value of a gift will determine whether that gift is well received or not.
Choice A is incorrect because the graph does not suggest that gift-givers are aware of gift-recipients’ appreciation levels. Choices C and D are incorrect because neither the gift-givers’ desire for the gifts they purchase nor the gift- givers’ relationshi p with the gift-recipients is addressed in the graph.